While Domenichino was in Naples, he was visited by his biographer
Passeri, then a young man, who was engaged to assist in repairing the
pictures in the Cardinal's chapel. "When he arrived at Frescati," says
Passeri, "Domenichino received me with much courtesy, and hearing that I
took a singular delight in the belles-lettres, it increased his kindness
to me. I remember that I gazed on this man as though he were an angel. I
remained there to the end of September, occupied in restoring the
chapel of St. Sebastian, which had been ruined by the damp. Sometimes
Domenichino would join us, singing delightfully to recreate himself.
When night set in, we returned to our apartment; while he most
frequently remained in his room, occupied in drawing, and permitting
none to see him. Sometimes, however, to pass the time, he drew
caricatures of us all, and of the inhabitants of the villa. When he
succeeded to his perfect satisfaction, he was wont to indulge in
immoderate fits of laughter; and we, who were in the adjoining room,
would run in to know his reason, when he showed us his spirited
sketches. He drew a caricature of me with a guitar, one of Carmini (the
painter), and one of the Guarda Roba, who was lame of the gout; and of
the Sub-guarda Roba, a most ridiculous figure--to prevent our being
offended, he caricatured himself. These portraits are now preserved by
Signor Giovanni Pietro Bellori."